Congratulations to Steve Smith for being named as recipient of the 2013 Joseph Branch Professionalism Award, presented by the Wake County Bar Association. Steve is a close personal friend of mine and a friend of the Council of many years’ standing. He and his wife Rachel, a hospital chaplain and pastor, are long-time members and leaders at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, one of our member congregations. In the mid-2000s, Steve served as a volunteer staff member at the Council, focusing on health care access and GLBT issues.
His willingness to serve – without pay – as the interim executive director when I was on sabbatical in 2006 enabled me to be away knowing that the office was in good hands. Steve ended his volunteer work with us – temporarily, I hope — in order to devote more time to the state’s Environmental Management Commission, which he chaired for five years until he was replaced last summer by an appointee of Gov. McCrory. To read more about Steve, click here for an interview in the WCBA’s publication Wake Bar Flyer.
